Read On! Learning Express

Man with headphones studying

The Learning Express Library is my favorite online resource to promote. It is both easy to promote – there are so many features that are helpful to so many different people with so many different needs and goals – and it’s difficult to promote – there are SO MANY features…

To give you an example of the wide variety of resources available in Learning Express, recently, I promoted it to a National Guard recruiter as a way for her recruits to study for and practice the ASVAB test, I promoted it to my friend whose child is going into 5th grade and is feeling insecure about their math skills, and I promoted it to my family member who is thinking of a career change and wants to explore her options. 

Not only does Learning Express have study guides and practice tests for the ASVAB, it has study guides and practice tests for just about any standardized test you’re likely to encounter in high school or college. Even the GED/HiSET, CLEP tests, and AP tests are covered. If you create an account, you can track your progress as you study. 

Learning Express also has skill-building resources for math and language arts beginning at the 4th grade level and going through high school. It can serve as both a review and a teaching tool for students of all ages. I worked on the algebra lessons for a while and didn’t hate it as much as I did in high school! 

The Job & Career Accelerator portion of Learning Express offers overviews of different careers as well as guides for exams associated with those careers. It will help you build a resume and cover letter as well as offering a way to job search through Indeed.com.

To explore Learning Express, grab your library card and go pryorlibrary.org. Under the “Use the Library” tab, click the “Research & Resources” link. Scroll down until you see the light bulb. 

 

Read on! New fiscal year

We’re in a new budget year at the City and the Library. It’s time to look back at the previous year and plan for the new one.

We didn’t accomplish all of our goals from last year. Namely, our Technology Plan and our Disaster Plan aren’t finished. The Technology Plan is in its final stages and will be sent to the Board and Council soon. The Disaster Plan will be completed in the Fall, though COVID-19 has inspired some parts of it already.

Luckily, we aren’t starting the new year off too far behind. Some of our goals for the new fiscal year have already been accomplished. Our Strategic Plan calls for us to evaluate the need to purchase local ebooks and digital audiobooks, which the Library Board decided to start doing when we closed for COVID in March. We are also slated to look at STEM programming this year. Thanks to the stipend we received from the Mid-America Industrial Park, we’ve already got the programs outlined and the supplies and equipment in stock. We just have to wait until it’s safe enough to implement them. 

None of our Strategic Plan goals or activities for this year are particularly flashy or noticeable by anyone not on staff. Much of what we’re doing this year is preserving institutional memory by documenting procedures, processes, and other knowledge. Once we’ve accomplished these goals, we’ll be a stronger organization with a solid foundation on which to grow.

One of the things you will notice in the coming fiscal year is changes in our front-line staff. Assuming the Library Board, Budget/Personnel Committee, and the Council approve our plan, we’ll be shifting some staff around. We will also be saying farewell to a beloved staff member in a few months. Stay tuned for how we will celebrate her time with the Library and wish her well in her new adventures. 

Read On! No shame

young girl hiding her face with her hands. Text says "no shame. read on."

Many times when I meet someone new and they learn I’m a librarian, the two of us enter an awkward conversation where my new friend sheepishly tells me all of the terrible things they’ve ever done to a library book. They seem genuinely relieved when I tell them “these things happen” or “I’ve done worse!”  

So, let’s enter a safe, non-judgemental space together. Think of all the terrible things you, your family, your pets, etc. have done to materials checked out from the library. Things like turning them in late, losing them, damaging them, and so on. Here’s what I say to you all: These things happen. No big deal. There’s no shame in any of that. Especially not if you pay the fine or replace the item. Do not be weighed down by these things.

And now for the “I’ve done worse” portion of the conversation:

After coming home one day, I placed my library books on my dining room table. Our dining room table tends to collect Life’s debris – kids’ art supplies, half-finished Lego sets, cups of water that have been there who-knows-how-long, etc. Unfortunately, one of the things on the dining room table when this story takes place was a jug of distilled water that had a tiny leak. It was sitting next to my library books slowly leaking into their pages. By the time I noticed, the books were beyond soggy and completely ruined. 

Another librarian checked out a book on her first day of work. She then promptly lost that book and had to use part of her first paycheck to pay for it. 

At any given time, you can assume at least a quarter of the Library’s staff have overdue books and/or fines. 

All of this is to say, we understand that Life happens to library materials. Don’t feel bad when it happens while they’re in your care. Let us know about it and we’ll figure it out together.

Library building closed for the 4th of July

Our physical building will be closed on July 3rd & 4th, but we’re open 24/7 online! Check your account, place holds, download ebooks and audiobooks, learn a language, research your family history – all from wherever you are, day or night.